This invention relates to apparatus for servicing lift trucks and, more specifically, to a service rack for use in removing and thereafter supporting the batteries employed in electrical lift trucks.
The use of lift trucks has increased greatly due to their maneuverability and load carrying capacity. Most lift trucks in use today either utilize electrical motors driven by batteries or internal combustion engines fueled by either gasoline or liquefied, bottled gas. In many instances, particularly where the lift truck is utilized in an enclosed area, electrically driven lift trucks are preferred for the reason that they emit no gases of combustion. In the usual electrically driven lift truck, there is typically provided a large pack of storage batteries having considerable weight. Oftentimes, when maintenance is required, it is necessary to remove the battery pack, particularly when the components requiring servicing or maintenance are disposed below the battery pack.
In those cases where the lift truck is utilized in close proximity to a crane or hoist having the capacity to lift the battery pack, little or no difficulty is encountered in removing the battery pack for servicing of underlying components. However, where cranes or hoists are not readily available, the removal of the battery pack has posed considerable difficulty.